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Unit of study_
LAWS6307: Class Action Litigation in Australia
2025 unit information
This unit of study will focus on the practice and procedure of class actions, which have emerged as the fastest growing species of litigation in Australia. Students will review the threshold requirements of commencing a class action, the processes by which class actions are brought to mediation and trial, and the perspectives of plaintiffs, defendants and third party litigation funders. The intersections of the legal and economic aspects of class actions will be considers in the context of a variety of species of this litigation, including shareholder, consumer, product liability, mass torts, environmental and cartel conduct claims. Students will review the relevant state and federal legislation governing class actions and case law that has developed in this area, together with developing a real-world practical understanding of how this litigation is conducted before the Courts. Refer to the Sydney Law School timetable - https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
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None |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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LAWS6230 or LAWS6869 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of the requirements for commencing a class action and the processes by which class actions are conducted from commencement through to settlement or judgment.
- LO2. Demonstrate a knowledge and comprehension of the relevant state and federal legislation governing class actions and the relevant case law across each relevant Australian jurisdiction.
- LO3. Demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives and interests of various stakeholders in class actions, including the parties, group members (consumers and shareholders), insurers, and economic and other incentives of each; this will include understanding the real-world context in which class actions arise, and whether class actions achieve appropriate outcomes.
- LO4. Demonstrate an understanding of proposals and arguments for reform of the law and practice of class actions.
- LO5. Demonstrate the ability to debate with persuasive arguments topical issues in class action litigation and policy.
- LO6. Demonstrate enhanced written communication skills on issues related to class action litigation.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal evening | Castlereagh St, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
